Challenges

As technology advances, the problem of e-waste management becomes increasingly pressing. Electronic devices, from smartphones to laptops, have become a staple in our daily lives, but as these devices reach the end of their useful lives, their disposal becomes a major concern both for the hazardous substances they contain and for the valuable materials that must be recovered. One of the major issues facing the proper management of e-waste is the lack of comprehensive and enforceable national policies promoting the environmentally sound management (ESM) of e-waste. Without such policies in place, it becomes difficult to ensure proper compliance and address issues related to hazardous substances, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Another significant challenge is the lack of long-term strategies and guidelines for the ESM of e-waste. To meet project goals and improve local standards, it is essential to comply with existing international standards. However, achieving these objectives is difficcult without proper systems and guidance. Additionally, the ESM of e-waste is plagued by insufficient financial support. Investment in the proper handling and disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is scarce in most participating countries. This makes it difficult to find facilities that have both high environmental standards and sustainable business models for e-waste disposal at the local level.

Beyond these logistical challenges, there is a low level of knowledge and information available about the ESM of e-waste and environmental and health risks related to its improper handling. Therefore, it is essential to increase targeted information sharing and awareness-raising campaigns. Furthermore, promoting e-waste facilities operating in accordance with ESM principles and with adequate business models, still requires interventions by the Global Environment Facility and other donors to support the feasibility of such operations. Finally, the absence of regionally harmonized e-waste policies, lack of a regional knowledge management and information sharing system and insufficient South-South and triangular industrial cooperation adds to the complexity of the problem. Reinforcing national and regional platforms enhances information sharing, knowledge management, and capacity building, which, in turn, is likely to enhance overall regional capacity to demonstrate and consolidate ESM of e-waste.

Toward a Solution

The issue of e-waste management is becoming increasingly pressing, especially in developing countries. This Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project aims to address this issue by strengthening national initiatives and enhancing regional cooperation on the environmentally sound management of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) in thirteen Latin American countries. The goal is to protect human health and the environment, particularly by reducing POPs released into the environment.

The project has four components, including: (1) strengthening of national e-waste management initiatives; (2) enhancing national capacities on e-waste dismantling and recycling facilities and infrastructure; (3) enhancing regional cooperation on e-waste management; and, (4) project monitoring and evaluation. At the regional level, the project focuses on aligning e-waste policies with relevant multilateral environmental agreements, harmonizing e-waste policies, and aligning existing national knowledge and information systems with relevant regional ones.

An essential aspect of the project is the enhancement of South-South cooperation, as coordination and cooperation among countries within the sub-regions and the whole region will result in a more environmentally sound and effective way of collecting, recycling, and processing WEEE. The project has designed various mechanisms and strategies to promote cooperation between the participating countries and has involved public, private and civil society actors, as well as the five Basel Convention Regional Centers present in the region as major players in this project. Among the tools designed by the project to achieve the proposed objective are PREAL Tuesdays and periodic training events, which have become essential strategies to promote knowledge management. PREAL Tuesdays are weekly meetings in which technical representatives of the Ministries in charge of implementation, national coordinators and technical teams from the 13 participating countries participate. Depending on the topic to be addressed, international experts are sometimes invited. Just in 2022, 43 weekly meetings were held where various topics were discussed, such as the organization of training events, general guidelines to be considered for a EPR regulation, financing mechanisms for WEEE management, progress and experiences in the implementation of regulations in more developed countries, and the separation and recovery of WEEE plastics, among many other issues. To further facilitate the exchange of information between the countries, an intranet system and a YouTube channel have also been created that feature all the videos of the meetings and audiovisual materials to promote the dissemination of knowledge and the transparency of information.

The YouTube channel has more than 200 subscribers and 6,000 visits, with information generated on PREAL Tuesdays and presentations of international meetings that countries use as support material for the implementation of the activities. On the other hand, the Intranet site is at the service of the internal communication of the project participants and contains documents, guides and other materials developed by the countries, presented for each output of the project. Additionally, international organizations like SECO, UNDP, UNEP and GIZ have also supported e-waste initiatives in the Latin American region in recent years.

The proposed strategy for addressing e-waste management in this context includes several initiatives that aim to create harmonized technical and legal standards and regulations, regional level playing field conditions and the commitment to incorporate extended producer responsibility as a regional principle. Additionally, the strategy includes cooperation on the development of common criteria for prevention and detection of illicit trafficking, promoting cooperation among state parties, and the interchange of good practices, information, and knowledge about the implementation of extended producer responsibility in accordance with the socio-economic conditions of participating Member States. Furthermore, the strategy also includes cooperation on the definition and implementation of national information systems on e-waste generation, collection, and final disposal that can communicate with one another efficiently, and have the potential to generate indicators and knowledge. A guide on communicating about WEEE was also produced under the project and 1,836 journalists (52% women) were trained on this.